Arsenal announce that they have worked alongside Sokratis and his team to terminate his contract and allow him to go where he pleases.
The contract termination was mutually consented upon, but of course it was, it would probably need to be agreed upon by both parties in order to actually be completed. It gives Sokratis the freedom to negotiate his next contract with whomever he pleased.
It was relatively well known, or at least highly suspected, that Arsenal and Edu would have the goal of using this window to move along Kolasinac, Ozil, and Sokratis, while finding a loan for William Saliba to get match minutes with. Now that this is finished, with 10 days still remaining in the window, what will Arsenal be able to achieve?
It’s hard to imagine they have recouped any money doing this, because, well, they haven’t recouped any money in their moves with Kolasinac and Sokratis, and it is believed that the club will pay out contracts in the case of Sokratis and Ozil, so there isn’t necessarily money in the coffers now.
No, these moves have maybe saved a tiny amount through negotiations but really are about reducing the bloat within the side, removing personalities that may have been distracting or divisive given their situations, and the club needed to put a close on them.
While I cannot say this with 100% certainty, I think it would be fair to assume that some of the funds used to pay these contracts out and terminate their terms has come from the £120m loan that Arsenal qualified for and will repay before the summer.
While we wait to see what Arsenal do next, thank you Papa. Thank you for your time, your effort, and reportedly being a true professional, even in the face of this recent situation. Best of luck wherever you go to play next!
“On behalf of Mikel, our coaches, players and everyone at the club, I would like to thank Papa for his contribution to the club” said Edu.
“He has been an important part of our group and has been a model professional throughout. The negotiations to end his contract have been collaborative and we wish Papa and his family well for the future.”
Gunner Thoughts 